Survival Of The Heart
by The Angry American
Summary: It's New Year's Eve and Huntress has suffered a tremendous coma due to injuries at the hands of Joker. And now, Nightwing feels like he has nothing to blame but himself. In a desperate fight for life and death, will Nightwing open up to Huntress of how he really feels during this turbulent time of survival? Takes place during "No Man's Land", but with a whole new ending. Four-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Survival Of The Heart  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman series. Batman and it's characters are owned by it's creator, Bob Kane. This takes place right at the end of No Man's Land. But this is what my ending would look like.**

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_**Chapter 1**_

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**Nightwing's POV**

New Year's Eve.

It was a time to celebrate and enjoy good times. A time for one last party to close out the year in style. Nothing but balloons, party streamers, and drunken hooligans. Everyone in Gotham City, spite the earthquake, were all joyous about the new year.

But the sad truth is...

...

...

...

...

I wasn't celebrating. I wasn't drinking the night away. And I sure as hell wasn't ringing in the new year.

I felt very sick to my stomach. Like if I was gonna throw up. There was a pain that I couldn't even bear to witness. I know I've experienced it when I was a kid.

That kind of pain that I, Dick Grayson, was suffering the fact that I saw Huntress being nearly dead at the sight of the Joker. Seeing that painful sight tore my heart apart. It brought me to a time in my life that I was afraid to lose somebody else that was close to me.

My memory hit me way back to when I was 12. I was part of an acrobatic team called The Flying Graysons alongside my parents Jonathan and Mary. We traveled alongside Haly's Circus and we captivated the imaginations of every young boy and girl that was watching us. Of course, with my breathtaking flips and my death-defying leaps, I was the star of the show. I felt like nothing would slow the rest of me and my family down.

That was until one fateful night. After another tremendous performance...

_**BOOM! BOOM!**_

My parents were murdered in front of everyone watching. The people ran out of the circus tent screaming and evacuating. It was perhaps the most scariest thing that could ever happen. It was like a bad dream, except that this was no dream. It was all real.

A mobster by the name of Tony Zucco shot them in cold blood without any intention whatsoever. I don't understand why he couldn't kill me instead. My parents didn't deserve to die in his hands. I didn't deserve to suffer like this. But fate played my cards and I couldn't have time to change destiny. I cried the entire time my parents were dead in their own blood.

But I was now in the present. I was scared to have someone die in my arms other than my long-deceased mom and dad.

This was Huntress. But she was just more than any Huntress.

This was Helena Bertinelli. She's been through pain and heartache than I already have. Helena was mostly withdrawn her whole life. She was kidnapped and raped at a young age by an agent of one of Gotham's most dangerous crime families. It would've been the Falcone's or anybody, but I'm not the one to keep up with the past, besides remembering my parents death. As if it wasn't enough, her entire family was gunned down at a wedding that she attended. Not a single flesh was standing.

She was left alone. Just like Bruce Wayne. And just like me.

Remembering her pain and heartache, she decided to turn her tragedies into light. This forced her to become more vigilant and more ferocious. With the training she received and a whole lot of crusading, she came back to Gotham City known as the Huntress.

Helena was always trying to get attention from Bruce. God help her that she was desperate. After all, Bruce doesn't quite take her methods of justice quite well. Helena didn't really give a damn what Bruce thought of his kind of justice as well. It was always shoot first and ask questions later.

Bruce never knew the meaning well concerning that his parents was shot and killed by a gun. Bruce didn't have to use guns for justice, and luckily, he never did. Helena managed to solve justice using her trusty crossbow. I'm not gonna lie, but those things hurt, just like what I'm now recently going through.

But Helena was never that harsh. She's was already willing to do the right thing, even if it meant putting her body on the line. She did her best to save the rest of the babies that was kidnapped by Joker in Christmas Eve. She was shot in the abdomen, nearly an inch closer to where Babs was shot. Unfortunately for the Joker, Helena stood her ground. There was no way one bullet from the Joker was gonna keep her down. Me and Batman respected that in her.

Joker didn't get the job done, but he wanted to. That gun was pointed right to Helena's head. Her abdomen was too damaged to even make her stand on her own two feet. Helena's life flashed between her eyes. With an evil smirk, Joker was willing to end it all.

But there was no way that it was happening.

Me and Batman arrived just in time to make the save. While Batman outlasted both Joker and Harley Quinn, I was the only one to check on Helena. I was holding her in my arms while the blood was trinkling down her nose. That was the most horrifying scene that I ever saw from her. I didn't know if I wanted to cry, but seeing her brutalized by a heartless and murderous clown made me tremble in fear.

That blood of hers were splurting from her stomach. I was afraid for her safety. My teeth was chattering with fear and my face was full of concern. But there was no way I would let Helena die in my arms like this. I was not gonna leave her behind with her life ending in a pool of blood. To me, it was a fight for life and death. I didn't know if Helena would make it out of this, but I wanted to pray. I wanted to pray that she would be okay.

The damage she suffered looked very serious and very threatening. And her chances of surviving wasn't very good.

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**I don't know if this was very good and all, but I wanted to try a good Nightwing/Huntress three-shot just for fun. **

**Now, I know this wasn't the ending, because that's why I've decided to save it for the last chapter. Until the next chapter, R&R.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Survival Of The Heart  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman series. Batman and it's characters are owned by it's creator, Bob Kane. This takes place right at the end of No Man's Land. But this is what my ending would look like.**

* * *

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

**Nightwing's POV**

Being cold as hell itself, I managed to carry Helena to a nearby medical tent across town. There were thousands of tents all around Gotham City, concerning what happened due to the violent earthquake.

I managed to make it through three miles of snow before the medical team found me carrying her. They managed to take Helena off my hands and put her on a stretcher so that they could tend to her the best as they could.

I was actually crying and scared for her. I tried to hold back the tears, but it wasn't doing me any good. The tears on my face went down like a leaking faucet.

As soon as I was checking up on her alongside the doctors, Alfred approached me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry Master Dick, we got her now." Alfred spoke to me while I turned to him.

I tried to be confident as I was, but I was still crying inside.

"Alfred... please don't let Helena die! Don't take her away like this..." My voice broke.

"Master Dick, calm down. I promise you that well attend to her the best we can." Alfred replied, still comforting me. But I wasn't being comforted by anyone. There was no way I was gonna lose Helena the same way I lost my parents a decade ago.

"She didn't deserve to be in this mess!" I exclaimed while I raised my voice, "Joker didn't deserve to do what he was about to do to her!"

"I know you really care deep down for her, but you need to trust us. If you're gonna keep pressuring us to save her, then there's nothing we can do to bring her back." He said with a stern voice. It was stern, but it was yet compassionate.

"Please..." I sobbed. I nearly lost my voice trying to keep control of my tears.

"Dick..." Alfred sighed, "Just trust us. We'll look after her..."

After noticing that my tears were getting me nowhere, I decided to calm down.

"Okay. Just don't lose her..." I said with a sudden whisper.

After Alfred nodded sadly, I managed to walk out of the tent with a straight face. Luckily, there was a chair next to the tent where I could sit at and at least think of what I've should've done. Either way, tomorrow was gonna be a long night. Yet surprisingly, there also happened to be a lit barrel so that I could keep myself warm in the process.

The tears I fell managed to dry off from the heat. I was still sniffling, but I had to stick to what Alfred said. I hoped in my heart that Helena would be alright, but I still had a bad feeling about this. What if she dies on me? What on earth would happen to me if someone close to me like Bruce, Babs, Alfred or Tim all died out on me?

It was simple... I would be alone. I always become scared of being alone, but it's my job of serving justice out on the streets of Bludhaven and in Gotham. I was destined to protect, no matter how young, old, big or small the problem became.

Maybe I had to quit worrying. After all, carrying Helena in my arms stressed me out. I didn't know how heavy she was for a slim woman. So I decided to rest my eyes a little and hope that everything turns out well. However, little rest turned out to be sleep.

I felt something occur from my sleep. It was like something from a dream. I soon realized that I was dreaming...

...

...

...

I was dreaming of the moment that me and Huntress had a year back when we were hunting down a mob boss by the name of Pasquale. He broke the law for killing an undercover cop that was dressed like a prostitute.

We had to climb up a huge tower with one of her ropes. Basically, me and Helena were doing a little briefing to find out if we found some evidence in the murder case. It was one of those 'private' briefings that involve only two people and when no one else was around. Unfortunately for Helena, she had little trouble trying to reach the ledge. Noticing this, I decided to lend her a hand.

"Need a hand?"

"Oh, you're a catch." She spoke in a sarcastic tone, "Never mind, I got it myself."

To tell you the truth, she couldn't reach. So I guess I decided to help her out anyway.

"Hey, I told you I already got this!" Helena exclaimed out of frustration.

"Hey, like it or not, you needed my help." I chuckled a bit, "But it may not matter anyway, because I'll have to ask you to turn around and head back down."

"Nice try, but I ain't leavin' anywhere. You find anything yet?" Helena said while she separated from me a bit, only to dust off.

"I managed to find one of Malfatti's so-called 'associates' working in front of Gotham City Police Department's holding tank. I'm not certain that Frankie Black's actually safe here." I shook my head in failure, "Is there anything you've found so far?"

After few minutes of thinking, Helena shook his head negatively.

"It's very inconclusive. There was no physical evidence of Frankie whatsoever." Helena said, while her head transitioned to a nod, "But I did manage to get something out of interest. I found out that the woman that was murdered wasn't a prostitute, but an undercover cop instead."

Hearing this interesting news from her, I felt impressed.

"Wow, I'm impressed. I kinda wish I was more surprised, though." I smiled to her.

"Heh, you should be..." She chuckled.

After a few minutes of silence between us, I managed to speak with wonderment.

"Hey, Huntress... I hope you don't mind, but if it's okay if I can ask you a question?" I said while rubbing my neck.

"Sure. You may." She said with a very smart smile forming through her lips.

"I may?" I replied with my eyes popping through my head in surprise, "You some kind of teacher or anything?"

"Luckily for you, I do happen to be a teacher. The reason I happen to be one is to stop you from acting like you were born in a freaky circus tent, which isn't very surprising to say the least." She chuckled and snagged.

"Wow, I must be one hell of a psychic..." I chuckled back, "So... you won't mind telling me your name, huh?"

Noticing that she heard me loud and clear, Helena turned her cheek the other way. She wasn't mad, truth be told. But it was certain that she was in fact, blushing.

"Well... I sorta assumed that you already knew. Maybe if you cared, you would've figured it out." Helena said while trying to keep her focus on me.

I couldn't stop listening to her words. I never knew how sincere she sounded, even if she acted like she was unpredictable. I was begging to hear more from her.

"Look... it's not the point." I spoke with ease. "I've thought about what you said to me earlier."

Knowing that Helena tried to keep her stare away from me, I took my hands and cupped them around her cheeks.

Strangely, I saw Helena blush again. Blushing at the way my touch was affecting her. I had a very soft touch when it came to women. And Helena was definitely no exception.

"You're right about us sticking together." I said with my voice being so sincere as it was, "I know I've been working quite alone for a while, and sometimes it's... fine and whatnot."

My voice started to lose itself looking at her. She had such precious eyes. Precious and yet so dark, that you could look past them with the pain and loneliness they've been feeling. Excellently, her long dark hair started whipping in the minor wind, which made her the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Well, it was nowhere closer to Babs, but I felt something inside her. Like two lonely worlds connected with one.

"I know I've gotten good at it, but..." I said, trying to form one sentence coming through my lips, "Sometimes, it's gets very..."

"It gets very lonely, huh...?" Helena spoke with a murmur.

"Yeah, it does..." I whispered.

We both gazed at each other like we were two lonely souls looking for a reason to live. We tried to separate, but it was all hopeless. Me and Helena were hypnotized with each other. I was nearly losing my breath and so was hers.

And in an instant, me and Helena pressed our lips into one another. I felt the warm feeling of her lips straight down my spine. When I wrapped my arms around her tenderly, she felt her blush brighten up. In the process, she held on to my chest in full control. I let my urges get the best of me, but strangely, I actually liked it. I felt a hint of grape surge through her sweet lips.

But something unexpected occurred. I wasn't feeling anything from Helena. No lips, no body... no anything. I knew that this wasn't good.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed that Helena had disappeared through a grain of crystals. I was shocked, stunned and speechless. The only three words I ever thought of.

"No... this... this can't happen..." I said to myself while picking up the sandy crystallic remains of her, "You can't leave like this..."

I felt tears go through my face, and yet I wasn't even crying. I wanted Helena back with me, not disappear from my arms. As I was moments away from crying anyway, I heard a voice speak to me from out of nowhere.

"Dick..."

I couldn't believe what my ears heard. The voice I heard turned out to be a man's voice. Was it coming out of my conscience?

The answer was a definite. As I closed my eyes and begged for all of this to come back to normal...

...I opened my eyes back up.

"Master Dick." A voice said to me with his hand on my shoulder. I then realized that I was back at the tent. I guess that my little moment of Helena was nothing more than a dream, let alone a flashback combined into a nightmare. I turned to the figure that woke me up.

"Wha-?" I said to the figure, which happened to be my butler and Bruce's, Alfred.

"You're awake. I'm glad to see that." Alfred said, smiling grimly.

"Is Helena okay? Please tell me she's okay!" I said, shaking and holding Alfred's shoulders uncontrollably.

As much as I wanted to hear the good news, I expected the worst to happen, knowing that I saw the guilty expression that was forming in Alfred's face.

"Master Dick, the damage and wound to her ribcage was brutal. We managed to get the bullet out of her, but the blood loss could be too much for her. I don't quite know how to say this, but..."

I clenched on to his shoulders, while my thoughts of 'Please don't die' scattered into my brain. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping this would've all been a dream.

"Helena's in a coma."

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**Wow. How is Dick a.k.a. Nightwing gonna react to this news? Will things get better or worse for our favorite Huntress? R&R everyone.**


End file.
